1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the cooking process in a cooking vessel placed on an electric heating element, particularly a stovetop burner, having a signal transmitter controlled by the temperature in the cooking vessel, a signal receiver in communication with the signal transmitter by transmitting means for activating a control circuit to adjust the heat output of the heating element, and a switch for turning the device on and off.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus of this general type are known and are distinguished from one another by the use of different sensor means in the signal transmitters to measure the temperature and of different methods and means for generating and transmitting signals to the signal receiver, as disclosed by German Patent Publication DE-AS No. 21 61 371, German Patent Publication DE-PS No. 25 39 746 and German Patent Publication DE-OS No. 31 29 334, for example.
Since the cooking vessel is not unitary with the heating element, there is the danger in the prior art apparatus that the cooking vessel is placed upon a first heating element while a second heating element is turned on and is heating up. However, the signal receiver fails to register the heating up of the second heating element so that the second heating element continues to receive current and eventually operates at its full capacity heat output while no heat is actually being used for heating a cooking vessel. Since the heat emitted by the second heating element is merely radiating, there is the danger that this heating element will become overloaded and burn out.
A similar situation arises when, during a preset cooking program, the cooking vessel is being removed from the heating element and set aside without turning off the control for the heating element. Impermissible loads may also result when two heating elements having preset cooking programs are activated, and the cooking vessels are accidentally interchanged on the heating elements.